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Creating the most dynamic and effective business website doesn’t
have to break the bank. With reasonable effort, investment and a
modicum of Web know-how, you can either build a
website or significantly improve your existing Web presence
-- for less than $200 in one-time costs.

To do so, you’ll need to know which tools are essential and how
to use them. Here are four low-cost ways to get your site not
only functional, but attracting customers and helping you close
more sales.

1. Get a professional look.
One of the easiest ways to create an effective, low-maintenance
website is to combine off-the-shelf content management systems
with a pre-made Website template. That way you have a
unique-looking site that’s distinguished from basic Web tools
such as Google’s Blogger format or Typepad that can also support complex live
content.

Among the most popular website hosting services that support free
content management systems are WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal. All can manage dynamic content
without any tricky or costly coding on your part.

The basic software packages for Joomla, Drupal and WordPress are
free. Premium features and extensions, such as e-commerce tools,
can be purchased but prices vary. Downloading and installing the
basic and advanced versions of these tools does require an
understanding of Web software. WordPress, however, offers a
hosted version which doesn’t require any software installation.

You’ll also need a professional-looking template for your site
that is compatible with your content management system. Options
include New York-based Template Monster, which lets users narrow
down themes based on business type and website purpose.
Templates can cost about $50 each.

2. Analyze your website.
Not getting an accurate picture of how customers use your site
might be the single biggest mistake online businesses make.
Analytics tools can help you find out how many people visit your
website, how much time they spend on each page and what service
referred them.

One option is Visistat, which not only offers a number
of web analytics services but also tracking of your online
marketing campaigns and behavioral data on your site’s
visitors. The average package costs about $50 per month.

But the most popular and perhaps the most effective analytics
tool is Google Analytics. This free service
generates deep, constantly updated visitor statistics.
Installation usually only requires you to copy and paste a
line of tracking code into your Website code, although some
content management systems including WordPress make it even
easier through plugins.

3. Get feedback.
Constructive criticism can be key to any business website. While
full-on website testing technologies can be effective, they can
also be costly.

Southborough, Mass.-based uTest offers access to a global network of
50,000 Web-connected testers and can create custom testing
templates for everything from usability to security. Basic
usability testing starts at several thousand dollars per
engagement.

But there are numerous low-cost online testing services that can
provide reviews. For example, Washington, D.C.-based Feedback Army lets businesses post four to
six questions about its website, which are answered by online
testers. Prices start at $20 for 10 reviews. For $39, Mountain
View, Calif.-based UserTesting.com, can provide you with a
video of an actual human tester using your website and talking
about it as he or she navigates it.

4. Integrate social media.
Your website should link to your business’ social media accounts,
but it’s even more important that your visitors be prompted to
share your website through their own social media identities.

Most social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter, provide detailed instructions for
how to insert “Like”, “Share”, “Comment”, and “Tweet” buttons
onto your Web page. Depending on how your website is hosted,
can be installed as simple as copying and pasting some code
into a website template or downloading and installing a
plugin.

They also provide feeds showing your Facebook updates, Tweets and
other ways people are interacting with your website -- which can
be some valuable information when it comes to knowing your
customers.

Bottom line: Working through the fundamentals of
good design, compelling dynamic content, properly installed
social media and user data can be the fastest and most affordable
ways to gets results online.